10/6/17:
"11 play (4 new) at PAC, 14 play at C.G.!":
There were two sessions of GTA Friday Night Tennis: one at The Park Ave. Courts in Nutley hosted by "Hollywood" Frank Samara (in terms of reporting the results for the GTA), but the session came together due to the efforts of "Richie" Rich Liu and his meet-up group, "The Hit Man" Tom La inviting some friends to attend and "The Riz" John Rizzo coordinating things behind the scenes.
The other was the usual one at The Cedar Grove Courts with usual host "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan running the session, but it also had "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan and "The Levitator" Levy Lorenzo reporting their scores as well.
First, it is off to Nutley we go!
When Samara pulled into the parking lot off of Park Ave. at 6:50, he saw that three of the four courts were full. Frank then made a beeline for the vacant Court Two before anyone else could take it.
Just five minutes later, Rizzo had also arrived. They started hitting and then, just another five minutes later, the lady who was coaching and hitting the ball with a bunch of young girls packed everything up as they all left Court One. With both the lights and net being better on Court One, Frank and John decided to switch over as soon as possible.
As they were doing this, Dennis "The Menace" Cabanatan made a cameo appearance as his daughter was playing soccer in the nearby field. He said he may be back later in our session.
At 7:05, a solo player took Court Two to start warming up and practicing his serve. But then at 7:10, Court Three became available.
At 7:20, Liu made his way to the courts. Upon his arrival, he greeted the lone gent on Court Two who turned out to be Sean Zhou (part of the meet-up group). From there, introductions were made between Zhou and Samara/Rizzo. Sean soon took sides with Rich in hitting against Frank and John and it would led to a Doubles One-Setter starting at 7:35.
But five minutes prior to that, La arrived and he was given the chance to be one of the first four in action. Instead, he said he had some calls to make and text messages to send in order to try to get more players to our session. He also later told us that he was the one to call for the lights to come on earlier in the evening.
So Rich had to do it earlier in the week and now Tom had to do it again later in the week (they both have the same contact at Nutley Parks and Rec). This is not a good sign as the Township of Nutley should just keep the lights on until the end of October as they have done in the past.
Tom said they are using the excuse that it was very cold one October. I think that was the year where we had that big blizzard just ahead of Halloween...and that had to be at least five years ago! Lame! Cheap! You can put similar adjectives here to capture the feeling of what I'm feeling toward the Township of Nutley right now...LOL!
"The Speed Demon" Dan Praport arrived at 7:35 and La soon joined him out on Court Two for a hitting session. Soon after (around 7:45), two unfamiliar faces (to Samara) joined Dan and Tom on that court for Doubles. One of them was a friend of Tom's (so he took that side) while the other was part of the Liu Meet-Up Crew and he teamed with Dan in what started out as a hitting session and then became a Doubles One-Setter.
"Fantastic" Fausto Murg arrived at 7:55 and his timing was perfect as that first Doubles One-Setter on Court One finished just two minutes later and Rizzo was looking to take a break to avoid further injuries (of the nagging variety) from playing on the hard courts.
Fausto offered to team with Sean against Frank and Rich and so the next One-Setter was already underway at exactly 8:02.
At 8:10, two more unfamiliar faces walked onto the courts. And from there, various combinations teamed to face others as the Doubles One-Setters kept unfolding for the rest of the evening.
We ended up having eleven official competitors (four of them making their official GTA Debut) on a very humid evening that grew even hotter with the amped up action on the courts. For the second straight week...it was quite the session, indeed! And we will detail the other new entrants to the league later in this report.
The Park Ave. Results:
Frank Samara/John Rizzo over Rich Liu/Sean Zhou, 6-0! It was the official GTA Debut of Sean Zhou. No Aces. It went like this: John held serve (Frank blew a volley to make it Love-30, but then it soon shifted to 30-All before going to Break Point where an un-returned serve brought it to Deuce, then it was Game Point where another un-returned serve secured the hold), Rich was broken (Sean blew an overhead for Love-15, but then it shifted to 30-15 with an un-returned serve and then another blown volley by Frank, it then was 30-All, Game Point where Frank finally hit a winning volley for Deuce, then Break Point and the break), Frank held (Love-15 went straight thru Double Game Point and onto the hold...if there were any winners in this game, I failed to remember them as I may have been distracted by the new players taking the courts at that time), Sean was broken (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All, 30-15, another Double Fault to make it 30-All, Break Point, Deuce, Break Point and then the break...again, another game where I might have forgotten to note what winners...or perhaps there weren't any), Rizzo held again (a blown volley by Sean and an un-returned serve made it 30-Love and that was where Rich made a great get/winner combo to make it 30-15, but then came Double Game Point and the hold) and Liu was broken again (15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All, 15-30, Double Fault for Double Break/Match Point and then the break) to get served a bagel! This one took place on Court One from 7:35 to 7:57.
The Skinny: Rich was very upset to have to "eat a bagel" as he said "this never happens to me" and "it won't happen again!" But soon, cooler heads prevailed as he congratulated Frank and John on a fine effort. Meanwhile, Sean humbly explained that it has been quite a while since he played tennis and he still had some rust to shake off (he made like Taylor Swift later in the night as he indeed did "Shake It Off!"). I give him the nickname of Sean "Yin-Yang" Zhou which is inspired by his e-mail address until I can conjure up a better moniker for him. He is a very nice guy and is grateful for the chance to play some tennis once again.
Tom La/Nick Caputo over Dan Praport/Steve Torres, 6-1! It was the official GTA Debut of both Nick Caputo and Steve Torres. Nick: 1 Ace on Dan on the very first serve (given the "First In" circumstances, Dan was caught somewhat off guard...but it was legit)! They played this on Court Two from 8pm to 8:22.
The Skinny: I got to meet both Nick and Steve fairly soon after they had finished. Both are really nice guys. I'll give Nick the nickname of "NC-17" as his tennis playing is strictly for mature audiences...LOL! Actually, it is just a play off of his initials. He is quite the tennis player, however. And he said he may very well bring his wife into the league as well. As for Mr. Torres, I will call him "Stevie Styles" as that is the image his look and overall vibe project. He seems to be a dude with a laidback attitude.
Frank Samara/Rich Liu over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-2! No Aces. Here's how it went down: Fausto held serve (Love-15 where Fausto made a nice passing shot winner for 15-All and then Sean blew an overhead attempt to make it 15-30, it was then 30-All where an un-returned serve set up Game Point and then Sean hit a successful Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold), Rich held (15-Love shifted to 15-30 shifted again to Game Point and then came the hold as there were truly no winners to note in this game), Sean held (Fausto hit a winning Backhand Volley for 15-Love, it shifted to 15-30 and then shifted again to Game Point where Fausto hit a winning Overhead Smash to seal the deal for his partner's hold) and Frank held as well and it was at Love as he started the game with a winner, hit an un-returned serve to set up Triple Game Point which was where Rich hit a winning Overhead Smash to lock down his partner's hold as we were all on serve at 2-2! Murg was the first to be broken and it was at Love as Sean blew an overhead and Frank hit a crafty return winner on the way to Triple Break Point where a Double Fault sealed the service fate of Fausto and then Liu held again as he was up 15-Love only to have Fausto hit an excellent drop shot volley winner which served to reverse the momentum on the way to 15-30, but then Fausto blew a volley attempt and that shifted matters once again as it went to Game Point and the hold for a 4-2 lead. Zhou was broken (15-Love went straight thru Double Break Point to the break...no winners to note here) and then Samara had another Love hold (again, no winners to note here) as this one was won on Triple Game/Match Point! We played this one on Court One from 8:02 to 8:30.
The Skinny: Despite the score, it became obvious over the course of the action that Sean was truly shaking off the rust and Fausto was impressive despite getting into the official action without much hitting time prior to the One-Setter.
Tom La/Nick Caputo over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-2! Nick: 1 Ace on Fausto; Fausto: 1 Ace on Nick; and Tom: 1 Ace on Sean! Court One again hosted this one as it lasted from 8:32 to 8:57.
Dan Praport/Rich Liu over Steve Torres/Deepak Lalit, 6-1! It was the official GTA Debut of Deepak Lalit. No Aces. This was contested on Court Two from 8:33 to 8:48.
The Skinny: Deepak is another nice guy (I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but it is all true) who is happy to play tennis with a wider field of players. As for his moniker, I will go with the obvious for now: "D-Pac!"
After this one, Rich called out Frank and John who were nearby on the sidelines and said that he and Dan were challenging them to a One-Setter. Both Samara and Rizzo were hoping to have been done with the playing for the night, but could not let such a challenge go unanswered.
Frank Samara/John Rizzo over Dan Praport/Rich Liu, 6-4! No Aces. The dirty lowdown: Frank held serve (15-Love shifted to 15-30 shifted again to Game Point and then the hold...no winners to note here), Rich held (30-Love where John hit a relatively short lob where Dan inexplicably whiffed on it which enabled it to be a winner as Rich was nowhere near it to make a play on it and that made it 30-15 and then Double Game Point and the hold), John held (Dan blew a volley to make it 30-Love, it then went to Triple Game Point, then Double Game Point where an un-returned serve secured the hold) and Dan held as well and it was at Love as he had back-to-back un-returned serves to go up 30-Love and then came Triple Game Point and the hold as we were all on serve at 2-2! Samara was broken for the first time this evening as he first hit an un-returned serve to go up 15-Love only to then slide right to Double Break Point where Dan hit an awesome lob winner for the break and then Liu held again (Love-30 start where an un-returned serve soon shifted the momentum to 30-All, but then Dan blew an overhead to make it Break Point where John then blew a volley to bring it to Deuce and then came Game Point and the hold) for a 4-2 lead. Rizzo also held again (John hit a winner for 15-Love and then that momentum continued as Frank hit a winning Overhead Smash to set up Triple Game Point which was where Dan hit a winning Overhead Smash of his own to cut that lead down to Double Game Point, then came Game Point where Frank hit another winning Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold) and then Praport was broken in a battle (15-Love then point for point until 30-All as Rich hit an amazing volley winner along the way only to also blow what should have been a surefire volley winner as well and then came Break Point where Rich hit a painful roller winner over the net to bring it to Deuce, then came Game Point where John hit a laser-like passing shot winner to make it 2nd Deuce and then a Double Fault set up Break Point, 3rd Deuce, Break Point again and then the break) to knot the score at 4-4! Hollywood then rebounded with a hold (Rich hit a winner to make it Love-15 only to have Frank hit two backhand slice passing shot winners...one to each corner...on the way to Double Game Point and then came the hold) and Richie Rich was finally broken (Dan hit a winning volley and then an un-returned serve set up a 30-Love lead, but then it shifted to 30-All where a truly un-returnable serve...a near ace...made it Game Point, but then it went to Deuce, Break/Match Point, 2nd Deuce, 2nd Break/Match Point, 3rd Deuce, the 3rd Break/Match Point and finally the break as I likely forgot to note some winners along the way in this epic game) to take at tough loss as Samara/Rizzo made somewhat of a mini-comeback by winning the last four games of the contest! Court Two hosted this one from 8:53 to 9:36.
The Skinny: Dan and Rich seemingly thought they had this one in the bag before the big bounce back from Frank and John (who both seem to play better from behind rather than when defending a lead). It was a fun one, but Liu wants revenge...a rematch...and maybe next time it will end up being a full 2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match.
Steve Torres/Deepak Lalit over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-4! Steve: 2 Aces on Sean; and Deepak: 2 Aces on Sean! They got this one done on Court One as the duration was from 8:55 to 9:36. This seemed like a nice even set that was spirited yet friendly. Afterward, there was brief hitting session that I think was between Fausto and Deepak (I failed to note exactly who it was).
We all managed to get off the courts well before the lights went off at 10pm. It was a very entertaining session that also proved to be consequential as we welcomed four new players to the league.
It should also be noted that it could have been even more epic as there were two more guys hitting with one another on Court Three. One of them seemed to be friendly with Tom as he came over a couple of times to speak with him while the other one (an older gentleman) may have shown up for the meet-up group. We invited them to play Doubles with us, but they said they preferred to have their Singles hitting session.
Also, Dennis walked past the courts somewhere around 8:30 (I'm guessing as I failed to note the time) and told John that he was "going to get his stuff." We assumed he would be coming back shortly to play some tennis with us. Well, he indeed did end up playing some tennis...but it was not with us!
We now will detail all that took place up at Cedar Grove. We will first get the overview from Kris and then further details from Gen and Levy along the way.
Take it away, K Man!
It was a relatively lower turnout by Cedar Grove standards, but we had some really intense matches that lit up the night with plenty of noise, screams and ecstatic cries.
The highlight of the night was unquestionably the Women's Doubles Match featuring Gen and my wife Doinks going up against Kathy Sheldon and Dawn Peterson. It turned out to be a dramatic one that went all the way and all the players could feel good for making a fight of it. Of course, the losing team was left to rue what could have been the result in its favor.
We now first get the recap from Gen and then additional commentary from Kris.
Doinks arranged for us to play Kathy Sheldon and Dawn Peterson on Friday at 7pm.
The Cedar Grove Results:
Doinks Srinivasan/Genalin Capan over Kathy Sheldon/Dawn Peterson, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4, to successfully defend their #12 Rank in the Women's Doubles Division! In the process, Sheldon/Peterson entered the division as the New #13 Ranked Team. No Aces. This was played on Court Four from 7:13 to 9:28!
Gen's Notes: In the 1st Set, Doinks and I were focused and played confidently. We had some really good long rallies. Despite the score, this 1st Set still took 34 minutes (7:13-7:47).
In the 2nd Set, Kathy/Dawn switched sides with Kathy playing the Deuce side. We got a bit complacent and started making more errors. Meanwhile, Kathy and Dawn stepped up their level of play. Their team continued to gain momentum. Kathy was solid and consistent with her cross-court forehand shots and her trademark lobs. Dawn was serving well and playing the net more. Kat/Dawn took the leads at 3-0, 3-1 and 4-1. Doinks and I refocused to try and get us back in this set. We took three straight games to level it 4-4. Then, Kat/Dawn took the next two games to close out the set and even things at one set a piece. The duration was from 7:49 to 8:31 (42 minutes).
In the 3rd Set, Kat/Dawn once again took an early lead at 2-0, then 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2. The next game on my serve was crucial. It went to multi-Deuces as we battled back and forth from Game Points to Break Points (at least 5-6 Deuces) and finally got the hold for 3-All. Kathy was broken on her service game for us to take the lead at 4-3. Doinks was also broken for 4-4. Dawn's service game was another multi-Deuce battle (at least 4-5 Deuces) with us getting the break for 5-4. Finally, I held my service game for the win. The duration was from 8:34 to 9:24 (50 minutes).
It was a very close match right down to the end. Both teams fought hard. Doinks and I were able to hang in there and recover from being down again in the 3rd Set. We started playing consistently along with more aggressive net play that resulted in winning some of big points. This is definitely a Nominee for Women's Doubles Match of the Year. Thank you ladies for a well-played match.
The K has his say: This started fantastically well for Gen and Doinks as they were spot-on with their shots, net plays and gets. They looked pretty confident in their shots and their mindset reflected that. Some of the games were close where they managed to deprive Kathy and Dawn a game or two.
After the drink break and resumption of the match, whatever transpired between Kathy and Dawn seemed to do wonders. An aggressive Kathy seemed to show her steely side and a drop in the game of both Gen and Doinks compounded the trajectory of the 2nd Set as Kathy and Dawn won three straight games and almost won the next to go up 4-Love. Doinks just managed to secure a hold that put her team on the board in the 2nd Set. But an easy hold ensured a comfortable 4-2 lead in favor of Kat and Dawn. Both Gen and Doinks were rooted at the baseline, even to some of their superb deep shots that got a feeble return. Their lack of aggression and a defensive mindset shackled their game. Then it was Dawn's turn to miss out on a flurry of unforced errors that seemed to put Gen and Doinks in play as they evened the set 4-All. Then Dawn picked up her game and with Kathy well fed to her forehand consistently, they edged their opponents in that set.
In the deciding set, I heard Kat and Dawn started off well winning the first two games and in the ensuing battle that followed, Gen and Doinks, to their relief, pulled off the victory, much to the dismay of Kat and Dawn. Overall, it was a solid match. Well done, ladies!
Samara's Notes: First I thank Gen who first reported this in a very timely fashion via text and then followed up with a detailed e-mail as well. I also appreciate Kris putting his two cents in…and now Kris tells us how his own potentially award-worthy battle went that night.
Kris Srinivasan/Laura Gawley over Jose Gonzales/Natalia Sout, 7-6 (11-9)! No Aces.
The K has his say: It turned out to be one helluva match after a sedate start. We lost the first two games, but did well to win the next two. It would be another set of two games lost for us before a good comeback, thanks to a sparkling display of serves and shots by Laura. Down 4-5, Jose was serving at Love-40 before unforced errors from us helped him to save 4 Match Points and hold his serve to make it 5-All! A couple of good games took it to the TB. With Rob Gawley on the bench, but seemingly more engrossed in the Yankee game, his wife Laura said to only play up to 5 points in the TB so that Rob could get a shot to play for the night. It just so happened that the TB ended up at 4-All and then Jose and Nat saved the 5th MP to make it 5-All. There was no stopping there as we blew MP after MP to prolong the game to its ultimate finish. Jose and Nat saved 9 Match Points in all and we survived the lone Match Point down 7-8 in the TB! Jose and Nat played superbly throughout the match. Jose was particularly consistent and had really great returns and aggressive shots. Laura was her usual self, though at times she was human. We blew quite a few opportunities, but did well when needed. It turned to be an exciting One-Setter. Both Jose and Natalia deserve praise for giving a good match.
Samara's Notes: Unless I am forgetting some other Mixed Doubles One-Setter from earlier this season, this has to be the lead contender for One-Set Mixed Doubles Match of The Year at season's end. Thankfully, they did not end the Tiebreaker at five points won rather than seven as it would have rendered this result unofficial. Instead, they went on to play a classic that will be a standout for years to come. Back to The K!
Rob was stilled engrossed in the Yankee game as it was now in the 11th inning! This resulted in an unofficial standalone Super Tiebreak to wrap up the night.
Kris Srinivasan/Laura Gawley over Jose Gonzales/Natalia Sout, 10-6 (STB)! No Aces.
The K has his say: We were cruising pretty much from the get-go in this short stint.
Syed Rashid/Arthur Fontanilla over Mike Sindler/Louise Bysiek, 6-1! No Aces.
The K has his say: Both Arthur and Syed were playing smoking shots, but thankfully to Mike most of the time. Mike was more than up to it, playing incredibly well with his own attacking shots and slices. Louise did well to put back the ball many times but was also often stranded. It was a "Swinging Syed" as he was belting one shot after another, inspired by Arthur's aggressive shots.
Samara's Notes: Kris, aka The New Moniker Maker, strikes again with "Swinging Syed!" This is definitely a kinder nickname than "Sadistic Syed"…though Mr. Rashid has had such moments…LOL!
Levy Lorenzo/Dennis Cabanatan over Syed Rashid/Mike Sindler, 6-3! No Aces.
The K has his say: An aggressive Dennis and a steady Levy were a lethal combo to be dismantled. Nevertheless, it was a solid set as all the players did well to keep it a well-contested one.
Samara's Notes: And now Levy also reported an incomplete result that Kris had missed.
Levy Lorenzo/Dennis Cabanatan leading Syed Rashid/Mike Sindler, 3-1 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)! No Aces.
The Levy Lowdown: Syed and Mike were just very, very tired.
Samara's Notes: I thank Levy for his timely reporting via text as well. And now we know where Dennis went earlier in the evening. I guess "his stuff" was up at Cedar Grove! LOL! We now go back to Kris for the last word.
The K has his say: It was a good night of intense GTA Tennis, indeed! Cheers!
Samara's Notes: As always, I thank Kris for being "the host with the most" up at Cedar Grove.
All the best,
Frank Samara
gtasamara5@gmail.com
"11 play (4 new) at PAC, 14 play at C.G.!":
There were two sessions of GTA Friday Night Tennis: one at The Park Ave. Courts in Nutley hosted by "Hollywood" Frank Samara (in terms of reporting the results for the GTA), but the session came together due to the efforts of "Richie" Rich Liu and his meet-up group, "The Hit Man" Tom La inviting some friends to attend and "The Riz" John Rizzo coordinating things behind the scenes.
The other was the usual one at The Cedar Grove Courts with usual host "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan running the session, but it also had "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan and "The Levitator" Levy Lorenzo reporting their scores as well.
First, it is off to Nutley we go!
When Samara pulled into the parking lot off of Park Ave. at 6:50, he saw that three of the four courts were full. Frank then made a beeline for the vacant Court Two before anyone else could take it.
Just five minutes later, Rizzo had also arrived. They started hitting and then, just another five minutes later, the lady who was coaching and hitting the ball with a bunch of young girls packed everything up as they all left Court One. With both the lights and net being better on Court One, Frank and John decided to switch over as soon as possible.
As they were doing this, Dennis "The Menace" Cabanatan made a cameo appearance as his daughter was playing soccer in the nearby field. He said he may be back later in our session.
At 7:05, a solo player took Court Two to start warming up and practicing his serve. But then at 7:10, Court Three became available.
At 7:20, Liu made his way to the courts. Upon his arrival, he greeted the lone gent on Court Two who turned out to be Sean Zhou (part of the meet-up group). From there, introductions were made between Zhou and Samara/Rizzo. Sean soon took sides with Rich in hitting against Frank and John and it would led to a Doubles One-Setter starting at 7:35.
But five minutes prior to that, La arrived and he was given the chance to be one of the first four in action. Instead, he said he had some calls to make and text messages to send in order to try to get more players to our session. He also later told us that he was the one to call for the lights to come on earlier in the evening.
So Rich had to do it earlier in the week and now Tom had to do it again later in the week (they both have the same contact at Nutley Parks and Rec). This is not a good sign as the Township of Nutley should just keep the lights on until the end of October as they have done in the past.
Tom said they are using the excuse that it was very cold one October. I think that was the year where we had that big blizzard just ahead of Halloween...and that had to be at least five years ago! Lame! Cheap! You can put similar adjectives here to capture the feeling of what I'm feeling toward the Township of Nutley right now...LOL!
"The Speed Demon" Dan Praport arrived at 7:35 and La soon joined him out on Court Two for a hitting session. Soon after (around 7:45), two unfamiliar faces (to Samara) joined Dan and Tom on that court for Doubles. One of them was a friend of Tom's (so he took that side) while the other was part of the Liu Meet-Up Crew and he teamed with Dan in what started out as a hitting session and then became a Doubles One-Setter.
"Fantastic" Fausto Murg arrived at 7:55 and his timing was perfect as that first Doubles One-Setter on Court One finished just two minutes later and Rizzo was looking to take a break to avoid further injuries (of the nagging variety) from playing on the hard courts.
Fausto offered to team with Sean against Frank and Rich and so the next One-Setter was already underway at exactly 8:02.
At 8:10, two more unfamiliar faces walked onto the courts. And from there, various combinations teamed to face others as the Doubles One-Setters kept unfolding for the rest of the evening.
We ended up having eleven official competitors (four of them making their official GTA Debut) on a very humid evening that grew even hotter with the amped up action on the courts. For the second straight week...it was quite the session, indeed! And we will detail the other new entrants to the league later in this report.
The Park Ave. Results:
Frank Samara/John Rizzo over Rich Liu/Sean Zhou, 6-0! It was the official GTA Debut of Sean Zhou. No Aces. It went like this: John held serve (Frank blew a volley to make it Love-30, but then it soon shifted to 30-All before going to Break Point where an un-returned serve brought it to Deuce, then it was Game Point where another un-returned serve secured the hold), Rich was broken (Sean blew an overhead for Love-15, but then it shifted to 30-15 with an un-returned serve and then another blown volley by Frank, it then was 30-All, Game Point where Frank finally hit a winning volley for Deuce, then Break Point and the break), Frank held (Love-15 went straight thru Double Game Point and onto the hold...if there were any winners in this game, I failed to remember them as I may have been distracted by the new players taking the courts at that time), Sean was broken (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All, 30-15, another Double Fault to make it 30-All, Break Point, Deuce, Break Point and then the break...again, another game where I might have forgotten to note what winners...or perhaps there weren't any), Rizzo held again (a blown volley by Sean and an un-returned serve made it 30-Love and that was where Rich made a great get/winner combo to make it 30-15, but then came Double Game Point and the hold) and Liu was broken again (15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All, 15-30, Double Fault for Double Break/Match Point and then the break) to get served a bagel! This one took place on Court One from 7:35 to 7:57.
The Skinny: Rich was very upset to have to "eat a bagel" as he said "this never happens to me" and "it won't happen again!" But soon, cooler heads prevailed as he congratulated Frank and John on a fine effort. Meanwhile, Sean humbly explained that it has been quite a while since he played tennis and he still had some rust to shake off (he made like Taylor Swift later in the night as he indeed did "Shake It Off!"). I give him the nickname of Sean "Yin-Yang" Zhou which is inspired by his e-mail address until I can conjure up a better moniker for him. He is a very nice guy and is grateful for the chance to play some tennis once again.
Tom La/Nick Caputo over Dan Praport/Steve Torres, 6-1! It was the official GTA Debut of both Nick Caputo and Steve Torres. Nick: 1 Ace on Dan on the very first serve (given the "First In" circumstances, Dan was caught somewhat off guard...but it was legit)! They played this on Court Two from 8pm to 8:22.
The Skinny: I got to meet both Nick and Steve fairly soon after they had finished. Both are really nice guys. I'll give Nick the nickname of "NC-17" as his tennis playing is strictly for mature audiences...LOL! Actually, it is just a play off of his initials. He is quite the tennis player, however. And he said he may very well bring his wife into the league as well. As for Mr. Torres, I will call him "Stevie Styles" as that is the image his look and overall vibe project. He seems to be a dude with a laidback attitude.
Frank Samara/Rich Liu over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-2! No Aces. Here's how it went down: Fausto held serve (Love-15 where Fausto made a nice passing shot winner for 15-All and then Sean blew an overhead attempt to make it 15-30, it was then 30-All where an un-returned serve set up Game Point and then Sean hit a successful Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold), Rich held (15-Love shifted to 15-30 shifted again to Game Point and then came the hold as there were truly no winners to note in this game), Sean held (Fausto hit a winning Backhand Volley for 15-Love, it shifted to 15-30 and then shifted again to Game Point where Fausto hit a winning Overhead Smash to seal the deal for his partner's hold) and Frank held as well and it was at Love as he started the game with a winner, hit an un-returned serve to set up Triple Game Point which was where Rich hit a winning Overhead Smash to lock down his partner's hold as we were all on serve at 2-2! Murg was the first to be broken and it was at Love as Sean blew an overhead and Frank hit a crafty return winner on the way to Triple Break Point where a Double Fault sealed the service fate of Fausto and then Liu held again as he was up 15-Love only to have Fausto hit an excellent drop shot volley winner which served to reverse the momentum on the way to 15-30, but then Fausto blew a volley attempt and that shifted matters once again as it went to Game Point and the hold for a 4-2 lead. Zhou was broken (15-Love went straight thru Double Break Point to the break...no winners to note here) and then Samara had another Love hold (again, no winners to note here) as this one was won on Triple Game/Match Point! We played this one on Court One from 8:02 to 8:30.
The Skinny: Despite the score, it became obvious over the course of the action that Sean was truly shaking off the rust and Fausto was impressive despite getting into the official action without much hitting time prior to the One-Setter.
Tom La/Nick Caputo over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-2! Nick: 1 Ace on Fausto; Fausto: 1 Ace on Nick; and Tom: 1 Ace on Sean! Court One again hosted this one as it lasted from 8:32 to 8:57.
Dan Praport/Rich Liu over Steve Torres/Deepak Lalit, 6-1! It was the official GTA Debut of Deepak Lalit. No Aces. This was contested on Court Two from 8:33 to 8:48.
The Skinny: Deepak is another nice guy (I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but it is all true) who is happy to play tennis with a wider field of players. As for his moniker, I will go with the obvious for now: "D-Pac!"
After this one, Rich called out Frank and John who were nearby on the sidelines and said that he and Dan were challenging them to a One-Setter. Both Samara and Rizzo were hoping to have been done with the playing for the night, but could not let such a challenge go unanswered.
Frank Samara/John Rizzo over Dan Praport/Rich Liu, 6-4! No Aces. The dirty lowdown: Frank held serve (15-Love shifted to 15-30 shifted again to Game Point and then the hold...no winners to note here), Rich held (30-Love where John hit a relatively short lob where Dan inexplicably whiffed on it which enabled it to be a winner as Rich was nowhere near it to make a play on it and that made it 30-15 and then Double Game Point and the hold), John held (Dan blew a volley to make it 30-Love, it then went to Triple Game Point, then Double Game Point where an un-returned serve secured the hold) and Dan held as well and it was at Love as he had back-to-back un-returned serves to go up 30-Love and then came Triple Game Point and the hold as we were all on serve at 2-2! Samara was broken for the first time this evening as he first hit an un-returned serve to go up 15-Love only to then slide right to Double Break Point where Dan hit an awesome lob winner for the break and then Liu held again (Love-30 start where an un-returned serve soon shifted the momentum to 30-All, but then Dan blew an overhead to make it Break Point where John then blew a volley to bring it to Deuce and then came Game Point and the hold) for a 4-2 lead. Rizzo also held again (John hit a winner for 15-Love and then that momentum continued as Frank hit a winning Overhead Smash to set up Triple Game Point which was where Dan hit a winning Overhead Smash of his own to cut that lead down to Double Game Point, then came Game Point where Frank hit another winning Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold) and then Praport was broken in a battle (15-Love then point for point until 30-All as Rich hit an amazing volley winner along the way only to also blow what should have been a surefire volley winner as well and then came Break Point where Rich hit a painful roller winner over the net to bring it to Deuce, then came Game Point where John hit a laser-like passing shot winner to make it 2nd Deuce and then a Double Fault set up Break Point, 3rd Deuce, Break Point again and then the break) to knot the score at 4-4! Hollywood then rebounded with a hold (Rich hit a winner to make it Love-15 only to have Frank hit two backhand slice passing shot winners...one to each corner...on the way to Double Game Point and then came the hold) and Richie Rich was finally broken (Dan hit a winning volley and then an un-returned serve set up a 30-Love lead, but then it shifted to 30-All where a truly un-returnable serve...a near ace...made it Game Point, but then it went to Deuce, Break/Match Point, 2nd Deuce, 2nd Break/Match Point, 3rd Deuce, the 3rd Break/Match Point and finally the break as I likely forgot to note some winners along the way in this epic game) to take at tough loss as Samara/Rizzo made somewhat of a mini-comeback by winning the last four games of the contest! Court Two hosted this one from 8:53 to 9:36.
The Skinny: Dan and Rich seemingly thought they had this one in the bag before the big bounce back from Frank and John (who both seem to play better from behind rather than when defending a lead). It was a fun one, but Liu wants revenge...a rematch...and maybe next time it will end up being a full 2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match.
Steve Torres/Deepak Lalit over Fausto Murg/Sean Zhou, 6-4! Steve: 2 Aces on Sean; and Deepak: 2 Aces on Sean! They got this one done on Court One as the duration was from 8:55 to 9:36. This seemed like a nice even set that was spirited yet friendly. Afterward, there was brief hitting session that I think was between Fausto and Deepak (I failed to note exactly who it was).
We all managed to get off the courts well before the lights went off at 10pm. It was a very entertaining session that also proved to be consequential as we welcomed four new players to the league.
It should also be noted that it could have been even more epic as there were two more guys hitting with one another on Court Three. One of them seemed to be friendly with Tom as he came over a couple of times to speak with him while the other one (an older gentleman) may have shown up for the meet-up group. We invited them to play Doubles with us, but they said they preferred to have their Singles hitting session.
Also, Dennis walked past the courts somewhere around 8:30 (I'm guessing as I failed to note the time) and told John that he was "going to get his stuff." We assumed he would be coming back shortly to play some tennis with us. Well, he indeed did end up playing some tennis...but it was not with us!
We now will detail all that took place up at Cedar Grove. We will first get the overview from Kris and then further details from Gen and Levy along the way.
Take it away, K Man!
It was a relatively lower turnout by Cedar Grove standards, but we had some really intense matches that lit up the night with plenty of noise, screams and ecstatic cries.
The highlight of the night was unquestionably the Women's Doubles Match featuring Gen and my wife Doinks going up against Kathy Sheldon and Dawn Peterson. It turned out to be a dramatic one that went all the way and all the players could feel good for making a fight of it. Of course, the losing team was left to rue what could have been the result in its favor.
We now first get the recap from Gen and then additional commentary from Kris.
Doinks arranged for us to play Kathy Sheldon and Dawn Peterson on Friday at 7pm.
The Cedar Grove Results:
Doinks Srinivasan/Genalin Capan over Kathy Sheldon/Dawn Peterson, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4, to successfully defend their #12 Rank in the Women's Doubles Division! In the process, Sheldon/Peterson entered the division as the New #13 Ranked Team. No Aces. This was played on Court Four from 7:13 to 9:28!
Gen's Notes: In the 1st Set, Doinks and I were focused and played confidently. We had some really good long rallies. Despite the score, this 1st Set still took 34 minutes (7:13-7:47).
In the 2nd Set, Kathy/Dawn switched sides with Kathy playing the Deuce side. We got a bit complacent and started making more errors. Meanwhile, Kathy and Dawn stepped up their level of play. Their team continued to gain momentum. Kathy was solid and consistent with her cross-court forehand shots and her trademark lobs. Dawn was serving well and playing the net more. Kat/Dawn took the leads at 3-0, 3-1 and 4-1. Doinks and I refocused to try and get us back in this set. We took three straight games to level it 4-4. Then, Kat/Dawn took the next two games to close out the set and even things at one set a piece. The duration was from 7:49 to 8:31 (42 minutes).
In the 3rd Set, Kat/Dawn once again took an early lead at 2-0, then 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2. The next game on my serve was crucial. It went to multi-Deuces as we battled back and forth from Game Points to Break Points (at least 5-6 Deuces) and finally got the hold for 3-All. Kathy was broken on her service game for us to take the lead at 4-3. Doinks was also broken for 4-4. Dawn's service game was another multi-Deuce battle (at least 4-5 Deuces) with us getting the break for 5-4. Finally, I held my service game for the win. The duration was from 8:34 to 9:24 (50 minutes).
It was a very close match right down to the end. Both teams fought hard. Doinks and I were able to hang in there and recover from being down again in the 3rd Set. We started playing consistently along with more aggressive net play that resulted in winning some of big points. This is definitely a Nominee for Women's Doubles Match of the Year. Thank you ladies for a well-played match.
The K has his say: This started fantastically well for Gen and Doinks as they were spot-on with their shots, net plays and gets. They looked pretty confident in their shots and their mindset reflected that. Some of the games were close where they managed to deprive Kathy and Dawn a game or two.
After the drink break and resumption of the match, whatever transpired between Kathy and Dawn seemed to do wonders. An aggressive Kathy seemed to show her steely side and a drop in the game of both Gen and Doinks compounded the trajectory of the 2nd Set as Kathy and Dawn won three straight games and almost won the next to go up 4-Love. Doinks just managed to secure a hold that put her team on the board in the 2nd Set. But an easy hold ensured a comfortable 4-2 lead in favor of Kat and Dawn. Both Gen and Doinks were rooted at the baseline, even to some of their superb deep shots that got a feeble return. Their lack of aggression and a defensive mindset shackled their game. Then it was Dawn's turn to miss out on a flurry of unforced errors that seemed to put Gen and Doinks in play as they evened the set 4-All. Then Dawn picked up her game and with Kathy well fed to her forehand consistently, they edged their opponents in that set.
In the deciding set, I heard Kat and Dawn started off well winning the first two games and in the ensuing battle that followed, Gen and Doinks, to their relief, pulled off the victory, much to the dismay of Kat and Dawn. Overall, it was a solid match. Well done, ladies!
Samara's Notes: First I thank Gen who first reported this in a very timely fashion via text and then followed up with a detailed e-mail as well. I also appreciate Kris putting his two cents in…and now Kris tells us how his own potentially award-worthy battle went that night.
Kris Srinivasan/Laura Gawley over Jose Gonzales/Natalia Sout, 7-6 (11-9)! No Aces.
The K has his say: It turned out to be one helluva match after a sedate start. We lost the first two games, but did well to win the next two. It would be another set of two games lost for us before a good comeback, thanks to a sparkling display of serves and shots by Laura. Down 4-5, Jose was serving at Love-40 before unforced errors from us helped him to save 4 Match Points and hold his serve to make it 5-All! A couple of good games took it to the TB. With Rob Gawley on the bench, but seemingly more engrossed in the Yankee game, his wife Laura said to only play up to 5 points in the TB so that Rob could get a shot to play for the night. It just so happened that the TB ended up at 4-All and then Jose and Nat saved the 5th MP to make it 5-All. There was no stopping there as we blew MP after MP to prolong the game to its ultimate finish. Jose and Nat saved 9 Match Points in all and we survived the lone Match Point down 7-8 in the TB! Jose and Nat played superbly throughout the match. Jose was particularly consistent and had really great returns and aggressive shots. Laura was her usual self, though at times she was human. We blew quite a few opportunities, but did well when needed. It turned to be an exciting One-Setter. Both Jose and Natalia deserve praise for giving a good match.
Samara's Notes: Unless I am forgetting some other Mixed Doubles One-Setter from earlier this season, this has to be the lead contender for One-Set Mixed Doubles Match of The Year at season's end. Thankfully, they did not end the Tiebreaker at five points won rather than seven as it would have rendered this result unofficial. Instead, they went on to play a classic that will be a standout for years to come. Back to The K!
Rob was stilled engrossed in the Yankee game as it was now in the 11th inning! This resulted in an unofficial standalone Super Tiebreak to wrap up the night.
Kris Srinivasan/Laura Gawley over Jose Gonzales/Natalia Sout, 10-6 (STB)! No Aces.
The K has his say: We were cruising pretty much from the get-go in this short stint.
Syed Rashid/Arthur Fontanilla over Mike Sindler/Louise Bysiek, 6-1! No Aces.
The K has his say: Both Arthur and Syed were playing smoking shots, but thankfully to Mike most of the time. Mike was more than up to it, playing incredibly well with his own attacking shots and slices. Louise did well to put back the ball many times but was also often stranded. It was a "Swinging Syed" as he was belting one shot after another, inspired by Arthur's aggressive shots.
Samara's Notes: Kris, aka The New Moniker Maker, strikes again with "Swinging Syed!" This is definitely a kinder nickname than "Sadistic Syed"…though Mr. Rashid has had such moments…LOL!
Levy Lorenzo/Dennis Cabanatan over Syed Rashid/Mike Sindler, 6-3! No Aces.
The K has his say: An aggressive Dennis and a steady Levy were a lethal combo to be dismantled. Nevertheless, it was a solid set as all the players did well to keep it a well-contested one.
Samara's Notes: And now Levy also reported an incomplete result that Kris had missed.
Levy Lorenzo/Dennis Cabanatan leading Syed Rashid/Mike Sindler, 3-1 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)! No Aces.
The Levy Lowdown: Syed and Mike were just very, very tired.
Samara's Notes: I thank Levy for his timely reporting via text as well. And now we know where Dennis went earlier in the evening. I guess "his stuff" was up at Cedar Grove! LOL! We now go back to Kris for the last word.
The K has his say: It was a good night of intense GTA Tennis, indeed! Cheers!
Samara's Notes: As always, I thank Kris for being "the host with the most" up at Cedar Grove.
All the best,
Frank Samara
gtasamara5@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment